1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tissue fastener which clamps two living tissues together by bringing the two living tissues into close contact with each other and a production method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
As a method of performing a treatment on an organ or the like of a human body, a laparoscopic surgery is known in which a treatment tool is percutaneously inserted. According to the laparoscopic surgery, an invasiveness of an operation is reduced compared to a case of making an incision in the abdomen, and fast recovery can be expected.
The treatment tool used in the laparoscopic surgery has a hard shaft inserted into the body percutaneously, and is generally provided with, for example, a forceps for performing a treatment on an organ or the like of the human body, at the distal end of the shaft.
For example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2005-193044, an intraluminal anastomosis device used for the purpose of joining luminal tissues is disclosed. In the intraluminal anastomosis device, a gripping tool which is able to be freely opened and closed is mounted to the distal end of a shaft, and a clamp is inserted into the shaft. The clamp is produced by performing a heat treatment on a shape-memory alloy in a flat coil shape and is inserted into the shaft while being extended.
The clamp may be pushed out from the distal end of the shaft by an extrusion mechanism provided in the periphery of the intraluminal anastomosis device. For use of the clamp, the clamp is pushed out by the extrusion mechanism and is held in the body. The clamp is heated by the body heat and is restored to the coil shape so as to fasten the luminal tissues. Accordingly, the luminal tissues are joined to each other.
In addition, an example of supplying a clamp that clamps a living tissue into the body is disclosed in International Application No. 2002/019923. In International Application No. 2002/019923, a supply device which pushes the clamp out of a needle and supplies the clamp to the tissue is described, and it is described that a stopper that controls the depth by which the needle is inserted into the tissue and the amount of the clamp supplied into the tissue is provided.
When a treatment is performed using the supply device along with the clamp, by causing a mechanism accommodating the clamp and the needle to strike the tissue, the needle is advanced and the needle pierces and is inserted into the tissue. When the needle is inserted into the tissue, the position of the clamp is fixed by the stopper and the needle is pulled out from the tissue. Since the stopper is provided, the distal end part of the clamp remains inside the tissue due to the stopper. When the mechanism is excluded from the tissue, the remaining part of the clamp remains outside the tissue. In addition, when the clamp is restored to the coil shape, the tissue is clamped.